Washed Ashore
by DragoranHeartless
Summary: A castaway young man lands ashore at Mineral Town's beach. When the town discovers the man has amnesia, and can barely remember his own name, he is forced to dissolve the clouds of mystery surrounding his past and discover who he is and what he is...
1. Storm at Sea

**Disclaimer: **As far as I know, I do not own Harvest Moon or any of its characters in any way, so please don't sue me. The character(s) in this story which were originally thought up and written about by me are mine and should not be used in any other stories without my permission. This disclaimer is valid for this entire fanfic and all chapters.

_Enjoy, young grasshoppers._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1- Storm at Sea<strong>

The sea was rough and savage that night. Tall waves crashed down onto the beach, where a pair of lovebirds who had been expecting a romantic night with a full moon at the seaside had just made a precarious escape from an encounter with the cold water. The boy with the purple bandana balanced himself atop the wooden dock, and stared out at the wildness of nature. He flinched when a door slammed close behind him.

"Get back inside, Kai!" yelled a man with cropped brown hair and a bulky stature, as he screened his eyes from the borderline painful rain. "It's not gonna arrive tonight! No ship can make it through a storm like this!"

Kai turned once more to face the incoming waves, just as a rather large one hit the pier and ripped through one of the supporting beams. He reacted instinctively when he heard the crash and sprinted towards the beach as the man screamed his name and took a careful step forward in the drenched sand.

The entire end part of the dock was torn away by the wave, and, despite the speediness of Kai's feet, the boy was unable to make it back in time. He cried out for help as the floor dissolved under his feet and water enveloped him. He felt himself losing all control of movement as his body was quickly spun deeper into the sea before being launched out again, as though the water disapproved of him and spat him out.

He struck another wooden support pillar and held on for his dear life. The other man approached hurriedly, and threw out his right hand for the boy to grip onto. Kai coughed up a rather unhealthy amount of water before reaching out to grab his wrist.

"Zack…" Kai desperately exclaimed in a pained voice. "Help me…"

Zack, in spite of his immeasurable strength and endurance, still found it quite difficult to pull the younger man up, which made sense, seeing as the conditions outside weren't all that great. Eventually the pair made it onto the safeness and relative stability of the beach. They looked at each other before Zack, with drenched clothes and an aggrieved expression, got up and jogged towards his small cottage, hunched over as to deter the rain from blinding his sight.

"Come on!" he yelled, his voice reaching out to Kai through the thunderous noise of the storm.

Kai backed away some more from the intimidating sea. After having witnessed its actual power for the second time in his life, he was more than happy to follow Zack inside. He got up and gazed towards the horizon, determinedly hoping for the best, but there was nothing apart from the rampaging waves and whirlpools.

"That was close," said Zack as Kai slammed the door tightly shut behind him.

"Too close," agreed Kai, coughing a few times to clear his throat of the painfully salty water.

There was quite a long silence. Zack ruffled his wet hair with his hands and Kai removed his jacket and bandana, revealing a spiky mess of black hair. Both men were freezing cold and very, very speechless. Kai walked over to the mirror in the far left corner of the room.

The shack was built for comfort and everyday functionality. There were a few couches placed around a simple-design table and a large crate with a stool behind it near the entrance. Many more crates were littered around the edges of the home- many were empty, but most still contained unsold goods. There was also a very wet and very dirty carpet which needed to be cleaned- a burden which Zack would unquestionably force upon Kai. Unexpectedly, Zack chuckled and broke the silence.

"Heh," he smirked. "Almost forgot you had black hair. You never take your bandana off."

"True that," Kai smiled, but his voice was still very hushed. "This is the first time in, what? Three weeks?"

A loud roar of thunder rumbled outside, causing both Zack and Kai to face each other. Kai raised his hand to his chin pensively.

"You better stay the night here," Zack invited light-heartedly. "We wouldn't want ya to be struck down by lightning, now would we?"

"Thanks," Kai said simply.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Zack's tone became sadder and quieter. "Shouldn't have been out there, Kai."

"I was looking for the ship," declared Kai weakly.

"You know it ain't arriving, bud." Zack responded. "And there'll be another cargo arriving next month, we can hold out 'till then."

"It's not about the cargo, man," Kai replied instantly, looking Zack in the eyes. "It's about the people on the ship. Never considered that?"

"Oh," Zack said with genuine surprise. "Since when did you start caring about anything other than women and food, eh?"

Zack regretted the words, thinking they would sound offensive and hurtful, but Kai smiled and laughed, re-tying the bandana around his head. There was another silence, the only noise being the continuous drip-drop of water splashing on the floor.

"So," Kai started conversationally. "What kind of grub do you have around here?"

Zack merely raised an eyebrow at the young man, who was now smiling with childlike innocence. He cast a curious glare, before smiling and laughing heartily. Kai laughed too, then got up and walked towards the fridge.

"Seriously, though," he said little humor in his voice. "What you got?"

* * *

><p>He had been working for a steady hour now, and so he wiped sweat from his forehead. The seashore was dirty: kelp and seaweed, accompanied by numerous amounts of small dead fish, was littered everywhere. Zack also determinedly worked at cleaning the beach up, preferably before 10 AM, which was when the visitors would usually arrive in the summer. Looking up, Kai gazed towards the horizon for the trillionth time that morning, and put his hammer down, walking back towards the beach. After all this time, the pier was almost reconstructed. All that was missing was the repair of a slightly damaged support beam and some planks at the far end. He jogged to grab a refreshing glass of orange juice from a table outside his own shack, which was besides Zack's. Both men were tired beyond belief, and mutually decided on taking a <em>small<em> break.

Three hours later, Zack still lay napping on a stretched out beach chair, while Kai was casually chatting with a bright-haired girl. Very casually.

"Anyways," he craftily winked at her. "Whatcha doing later today, beauty?"

The girl giggled and blushed noticeably. She then narrowed her eyes and bit her lower lip in an exaggeratedly thoughtful manner. She lifted her hand to her chin as well and slowly tapped her index finger on her lips. Kai smiled uneasily and scratched the back of his head. The girl kept doing exactly that, until after a few seconds she stopped the tapping too. She was just standing there like a statue. Kai proceeded to wave his hand in front of her face, and started to freak out a bit when she still showed no signs of life.

"Popuri," he called out worriedly. "What are you doing?"

But Popuri still didn't move and she still didn't look up.

"Oh Goddess…" Kai exclaimed and nervously looked around. "Snap out of it, babe!"

Popuri's eyes grew unnaturally big and she looked up, her hands staying perfectly still, but her mouth hung slightly open now. Kai backed away in fear. She squinted once more and her face turned into an expression of terror for a fraction of a second.

"_It's gonna blow_!" Kai screamed in a panicked frenzy.

Popuri raised her hands up to her face. She sneezed twice and her puffy pink hair blew in the wind. She lowered her hands and so did Kai, who had assumed a defensive position near the stair railings. Popuri smiled cutely, and Kai couldn't help but laugh. Zack, who had been stirred by all the noise, woke up and saw the two kids. He then checked his watch and jumped up.

"Kai!" he called across the beach, causing the boy in question to cringe slightly. "You told me you'd wake me up in ten minutes!"

"Oh, sorry about that," Kai improvised a lie. "I thought you meant ten minutes…in Russia… Like, ten minutes after 6:40, which would mean-"

Alas, despite Kai's astonishingly believable lie, Zack's perceptive skills were unmatchable.

"Shut your mouth, and give me three-hundred push-ups!" he interrupted.

"But-"

"Right now!" Zack screamed. "One…Two…Three…"

"Umm…" Popuri murmured apprehensively. "I should be getting home now. Bye, Kai."

"Bye..!" Kai managed to exclaim through his exercise, as Popuri left the scene and walked off towards the town square.

"Stop slacking," Zack approached Kai and placed his heavy combat boot on Kai's back, pushing ever so slightly. "Let's up the pace, kid! Ten, eleven, twelve-"

Kai's exercise continued and both the men noticed the progressive cooling of the weather. When the exhausted Kai reached approximately fifty, Zack suddenly lifted his foot and looked out towards the sea. Kai collapsed in a heap and muttered something along the lines of "give up, give up".

"Shh," Zack quieted him gravely. "Thought I heard something."

Zack walked towards the beach, and there it was again. Unmistakable this time, and it came accompanied by another bundle.

Water splashed everywhere as a figure was thrown out of the ocean. The waves pushed it onto the shore and there the man lay, coughing water. Zack instantly noticed his condition was critical and blood was seeping from countless, burning cuts.

"Goddess," Zack yelled in fear, his eyes growing wide in terror as the man continued squirming on the sand, gripping the just about steady floor with his bloody hands. His face was turned towards the sea as Zack quickly approached.

"What?" Kai questioned curiously, cleaning dust off his shirt and turning towards Zack. "HOLY-"

The man had long black hair and a fair- yet scratched up- face and closed eyes. As Zack laid the man's head on his lap, the man slowly went limp and his eyes shut tightly. Kai swore.

"What the _hell_?" Kai threw his hands up and came closer. "How-"

"Shut up!" Zack screamed critically. "We have to get him to Doc! Help me out!"

At that point the air grew colder and drops of rain started to fall from the air.

"Damn this weather." Kai declared as he draped the man's left arm across his neck and held on tightly. Soon he and Zack were jogging across the square in the middle of the aftermath of the storm. Rain poured down in harsh amounts, rapidly soaking the two men fully. Kai, already tired out from Zack's command, was having trouble stabilizing himself, but soon the man awoke slightly and helped out by taking careful steps in rhythm with the others.

"Goddess, Zack," Kai screamed, as the noise of rain striking the concrete drowned out their heavy breathing. "What the hell is going on?"

"I guess we'll find out sooner or later!"

They dragged the man around the corner of Cartman's church. Luckily, or unluckily, there was no-one around to see them. Kai would rather not be interrupted or seen carrying around a corpse-like figure in an eerie scenario like this, especially when they were near the graveyard. However, he would appreciate some more support, as the weight was pressing down on him more and more- fortunately they had almost reached the hospital.

"Open the door, Elli!" roared Zack when he discovered the door was locked. In moments, the young nurse had rushed to the door and thrown it open. The brunette shrieked and almost slammed the door on the boys, but her calm side took control instantly and she assisted them in carrying the man inside.

"Oh my goodness…" muttered Doc as he approached the case. Stretched onto the bed, the half-dead man was hurriedly being inspected by the nurse and the experienced doctor.

"Damn…" sighed Doc, raising his hand to tousle his pitch-black, short hair, before pointing at Elli and giving orders. "Get me the extra large energizer."

The nurse shuffled past Kai and Zack, and out of the room.

"Hurry!"

The timid nurse flinched vaguely and sprinted back through the door in a matter of seconds.

"Guys, get out! Now!" commanded the doctor forcefully, causing even the brawny ex-soldier Zack to cringe and scurry away. Elli accompanied the pair in the waiting room.

"So what's up with that guy?" asked Kai seriously, but Elli ignored his question.

"Who is he? Was he drowning?"

"I have no idea who he is," Zack admitted his thoughts all over the place. "And he just washed ashore a few minutes ago. We brought him over here as fast as we could.

"Washed ashore," echoed the boy with the bandana, his head growing achy after all the tumult and action.

"Washed ashore?" repeated Elli apprehensively.

"I don't know…" Zack responded quickly, lifting his hands up in an attempt to express his innocence.

There was a tense quiet in the room, and Elli took a step back and gestured towards the room where the Doc was at work.

"I'm going to go check up on him, alright guys?"

"Wait-" Kai exclaimed, grabbing onto Elli's wrist desperately. He coughed awkwardly after his sudden fright and let go. "Is he gonna be OK?"

"I don't know…" the nurse admitted uneasily.

The rain was still pounding on the roof panels overhead. The air outside was frigid and all villagers of the petite yet blissful Mineral town had swiftly retreated within the comfort of their own homes. Storms like these were unnatural during the summer, but they did occur every now and so often.

"Doctor Tim told me he might not make it," Elli walked away and left the two men to ponder about all that had just happened in gloomy silence and exceedingly vivid light.

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><p><em>Oh my. Wasn't that a hoot and a holler? How exciting :D<em>

_Now review or I shoot you. Please? :3_


	2. Interruptions

_Enjoy, and leave a review if you like it. :3_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2- Interruptions<strong>

"Hello?"

"Hey Doug. Could I speak to Ann?"

"Of course you could, Elli," sounded the cheerful response. "She's tending the bar."

"Thank you!"

There was a very long silence. Eventually, Elli grew impatient.

"Umm," she muttered nervously. "Doug?"

"Yes?" was the hearty reply. Even over the phone, his voice sounded deep and friendly. It was the kind of voice which would fit a kid's show's mascot, or a large furry creature of some sort.

"Could I speak to Ann, please?"

"Why of course!" Doug bellowed with laughter. Elli heard footsteps and crackling, then Ann's voice, which was a little less kind and a little busier.

"Yeah, this is Ann. Who is this?"

"Oh, hi Ann. It's Elli."

"Why are you calling?"

Elli was slightly hurt by the unkind response her friend provided, but continued carefully nevertheless, "I'll need a room for the next few nights. We've got a-"

"Inn rooms?" Ann interrupted. "That's my dad's business, not mine. Here, I'll pass the phone to him."

"Wait!" exclaimed the nurse dreadfully. Conversations with the innkeeper always seemed to drag on for longer than they should.

"Hello, hello, hello. This is Doug, with whom I am speaking, may I know?" Doug chuckled with gusto.

"It's…still Elli, sir," the nurse replied uneasily. "I was wondering if I could rent a room for a few nights. We've got a-"

"Why, good afternoon, Elli!" exclaimed the barkeeper suddenly. "How's the grandchildren? What about little Stu? How's he doing at school?"

"Sir, it's _Elli_," the nurse interrupted quickly, keeping her head cool. "Not _Ellen._ Ellen's my grandmother, you see. Anyway, I was wondering if I could rent a room for a few nights. We've got-"

"Why, good afternoon, Elli!" Doug laughed, stopping Elli mid-sentence. "Long time no see. So, how's little Stu doing at school, hm?"

Elli sighed, replying only after a long break, "He's doing _breathtakingly marvelous_. Now, I need to rent a room for the next few nights because-"

"Oh, that's great!" Doug butted in. "Stu must be a great grandkid. I wish I had grandchildren." Doug's voice faded a bit into the background as he turned around to face Ann. "Hear that, Ann? I wish I had grandkids!"

"Mister, please," Elli stated seriously. "I need to rent a room for the next few nights because we've got-"

"Excuse me," Doug giggled playfully. "My name's not Mister Please!"

Elli brought her palm to her forehead and heavily considered the pros and cons of hanging up on him. She recovered her calmness after a while, and continued her conversation with Doug.

"Doug," she started, her voice was serious and she spoke as quickly as possible, words streaming from her lips at an unnatural pace. "-"

"Hello, hello, hello! My name's Doug. With whom I am-"

Elli screamed and growled and smashed the phone onto her desk. The device broke into two large parts, and she took both and demolished them into smaller shreds. Then she took a bunch of the smaller shreds and stepped on them and struck them with the receiver. She then looked up and noticed a curious pair of hazel eyes regarding her in a hypnotized manner from the doorway.

"Oh, Kai," she giggled, hurrying to wipe all the remaining phone flakes onto the floor, where she hoped they would be less noticeable. "How can I help you?"

The man with the purple bandana continued to regard her suspiciously as he took a few careful steps forward. As he slowly closed the door, his eyes darted around the room, checking for anything which seemed out of the ordinary. He narrowed his eyes in a distrustful manner, and halted about two meters from the nurse, who was smiling the biggest smile she could muster.

"What was that all-" he said eventually.

"Nothing!" Elli shouted, much louder than she had hoped. She started blushing a bit and lowered her tone considerably, "How can I help you?"

He was kind of creeped out by the way her smile never changed. It was just kind of there, plastered on her face in an eerie manner. Kai continued to be wary of her behavior and pronounced the next few words very carefully, "Is the man I brought here earlier to-day still in the vi-ci-ni-ty?"

"Yes he is, he's right next door with Doctor Tim."

"Aha…" Kai nodded slowly. "I see. Thanks."

He kept facing her and casually strafed left towards the door which led to Doc's office and the patient's room.

"Bye, Elli."

Kai slammed the door shut tightly behind him and closed his fingers around the brass key to lock the door, before realizing such measures were probably unnecessary. Besides, from the way she destroyed that phone, she could probably destroy the door just as easily. He had to be careful.

The boy's mind focused on a more pressing issue: the castaway. He wanted to know everything about the man. Where he was from, how he got to the beach, how he survived- there was a vast amount of questions Kai was longing to ask. So he hesitated no further, and stepped inside the patient's room.

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><p>In the room next-door, a very embarrassed nurse was ardently working to sweep up all the broken shards. When she had finally collected them all, she dumped them onto her desk and thought long and hard about what to do with them. She tentatively picked two of them up and tried to fit them together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Her actions proved to be useless and the telephone was beyond repair- forever.<p>

She dusted specks of plastic from her light blue dress, fixed her shoulder-length light brown hair and picked up a clipboard from the table. Proceeding to exit the hospital, she carefully scuffled down the wet stairs leading down to the road and made her way down the path. The road itself had dried, but water had been collected at the edges, creating small rivers which in due course winded down to the sewers underneath. Elli passed by her home, which was nearby the hospital. It was a small but humble house. Compared to other houses in Mineral Town, it looked very old and simple from the outside.

She then passed by the library, and considered dropping in to greet the librarian, Mary. Looking back, she saw the hospital in the distance and concluded that the Inn was a priority right now. Scurrying across another road, she reached Doug's famed Inn and Bar in no time. She feared an encounter with the owner, and hoped Ann would be nearby to rescue her if Doug started a conversation.

She reached for the door hinge, but it was pulled away from her from the inside. The door swung open and revealed a very smiley Doug. Ellie flinched slightly and took an awkward step backwards.

"Hello, Elli," Doug pronounced harmoniously. "We have been expecting you. Please, enter."

Elli carefully entered, as the innkeeper stared her down with that horrible, horrible glare and smile of his. He closed the door behind her softly, making his way towards the bar. Ann was nowhere in sight. _Damn,_ Elli thought fretfully, _why is she never there when you need her?_

"So what can I get you?" Doug asked, continuing to clean some beer glasses behind the counter. Elli stood anxiously in front of one of the stools.

"Oh, nothing," Elli smiled politely. "I just want to rent a room for the next few nights."

There was a long silence. The nurse feared for the worst.

"Juice? Wine? Take a seat." Doug invited courteously.

"No, I don't want anything to drink." Elli responded heatedly. "I want to rent a room."

"How about a meal?" The bartender asked after drying all the glasses, with that same beaming smile glued onto his expression. "We've got pasta, fish, steak-"

"No!" Elli interrupted angrily, slamming her hand down on the counter fiercely. "I just want to rent a room."

Elli pulled her hands back when Doug didn't respond at all. He didn't move an inch for a few seconds, and then he continued, "We've got shrimp, salted salmon, and a variety of desserts."

Elli sighed profoundly, "Oh, Goddess…"

"Yeah?" responded the barkeeper, as though Elli had just answered a question. He turned around and walked a few steps towards the kitchen. "Ann? Dear? Sweetiepoo?"

"Yes, dad?" The daughter in question shouted from behind the half-closed kitchen doors.

"We got an order for one number 36!"

"Wait!" Elli yelled. "I really don't want anything to eat!"

Doug turned around slowly and dramatically. He took a few heavy steps towards the counter, closing in on the very confused nurse. He looked her straight in the eyes.

"Elli," he started his voice now merely a hushed whisper.

"Y-yes?" said the frightened girl in an equally silent tone. Doug angled his head a few degrees to the left before speaking.

"You want to rent a room for the next few nights, eh?" He beamed cheerfully, and started to close the distance between him and the girl. He towered over her by a few dozen centimeters. The terrified and panicky nurse nodded rapidly, attempting to break eye contact at all times by looking everywhere apart from straight ahead. Doug spat out the next two words slowly and seriously. "Done- deal."

He suddenly backed away and walked towards the kitchen, whistling a jolly tune. Elli lowered her arms and tried to relax a little bit. She looked around, and, seeing no one but the passed out drunk, Duke, she made a quick escape to the doors.

"Hey!" a girl's voice halted her halfway. "Hold it, Elli! I cooked the food, you eat it."

"But, Ann-"

"No excuses," the red-haired girl's tone was scarily intense. "Now, sit down!"

Elli was on the verge of tearing up as she took a seat on the table nearest to the entrance. A plate with a rare-cooked steak, decorated with peppermint sauce and a variety of herbs, was served in front of her.

"Thanks?" she murmured unsurely, as the cook took a seat opposite her. Ann smiled with childlike innocence, and the nurse couldn't help but return a smile. Elli's eyes wavered between the food and the waitress, the latter shifting her gaze around the room while skillfully blowing bubbles with blue bubblegum.

"So?" Ann's intimidating look forced Elli to pick up her knife and fork and start eating. Admittedly, it was probably the best meal the nurse had eaten in the last few weeks. Ann had a temper, but she also had cooking skills. After a few moments, Ann turned to face Elli and spoke, "Why do you need a room? Did your grandma kick you out of the house or something."

"Of course not," Elli responded indignantly. "There's this guy…and…well, it's very complicated."

"Really?" The waitress lifted a curious eyebrow. "Elaborate."

"Well…" Elli shuffled nervously. "It's not really that complicated. It's just pretty…unbelievable."

Ann's inquisitiveness made her lean closer and closer until she was pretty much lying on the table. Regardless, Elli continued, "A man washed ashore at the beach this morning. Kai and Zack brought him to the clinic. Tim and I- sorry, _Doctor_ Tim- have kept him at the hospital the whole day. He's recovering fast and we-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ann interrupted. "You're telling me a guy washed ashore at the beach this morning?"

Elli nodded, and wondered in the back of her head whether Doug's slowness was in her genes too.

"And that Kai and Zack brought him to the clinic?"

"Yeah…that's what I just said."

"And that you've kept him at the hospital the whole day-"

"Yes, Ann!" Elli grinned, giggling slightly.

"Oh. My. Goddess!" The waitress got up and started rushing in circles besides the table. "This is huge!"

"I know-"

"What's his name?"

"The thing is, he's-"

"Is he cute?"

"I…I don't know… I guess-"

"WAIT!" Ann yelled, her eyes lowering to the floorboards and her mouth gaping wide open. She lifted her hand to her mouth before turning to point at Elli. "Shh! I'm thinking."

"I didn't say any-"

"Shh!"

Ann looked up again, with a fearful expression. Elli examined her carefully, before turning back to her plate and finishing up her meal.

"So when will he get here?" Ann asked seriously.

"In an hour or sho," the nurse muttered through filled cheeks.

"So I need to go prepare and clean the room?"

"Yesh."

Ann scurried away to the kitchen, before emanating with all kinds of cleaning products.

"Ann," Elli said uncomfortably. "You don't have to hurry."

"Gotta clean…gotta clean…" was the only reply. Ann ran up the stairs klutzily, tripping on more than one occasion. At that point, the nurse froze. Doug was vigilantly watching her from behind the counter. His left hand moved hypnotically from left to right as he swabbed the bar clean. He smiled evilly, and then angled his head like he had done before in a creepy manner.

"That'll be 700 G, Ellen."


	3. New Kid in Town

**Chapter 3- New Kid in Town**

Kai closed the door behind him very softly as he walked through to the patient's room. In spite of his ninja-like silence, the man looked up from where he was seated. This time Kai was able to properly assess him. The man was very young, maybe even younger than himself. He had long spiky hair which was similar to the mysterious bundle always secreted within the purple bandana, but it was more stylized and better kept. He had noticeably bright blue eyes. A bandage covered his right cheek, and a large portion of his upper left arm was covered by white binding, neatly tied into a knot around his shoulder.

"Who are you?" The man said instantly. His voice was deep and quite soft, but it seemed to _fit _him somehow. His eyes darted from Kai to Doc to Kai to the door to Kai.

"What's up?" Kai introduced himself and reached a hand out to greet the man. "I'm Kai. I was one of the guys who brought you here."

The man didn't return the gesture. He didn't reply, and just stood staring at the newcomer with a slightly open mouth. Doc interfered and stood between the two.

"Kai brought you here." Doc explained, as though he were ignoring Kai. "If it weren't for him, you might not have made it." Doc's tone was serious, as always, but he was smiling warmly. Kai withdrew his hand slowly when the man didn't react. There was a silence as the patient reviewed the situation.

"Thanks," he muttered quietly. "I guess."

"So, what's your name, man?" Kai asked conversationally and curiously.

"Now, Kai…" Doc interrupted. "This man has been evaluated to have a condition called _retrograde amnesia_."

"Amnesia?" Kai inquired nervously. "Like, he don't have any memories?"

"Yeah," Doc answered. "He can't remember his own name."

"Actually, doctor…" the man cut Doc off. "Roy. I remember now. My name, that is. Roy."

"You remember your name?" Doc was truly surprised, and Kai stood by, rather puzzled. "This is great. Wonderful!"

Doc hurried over to a few papers on his desk and grasped a pen. Kai turned to face the stranger once more.

"Roy, huh?"

"I…I think so, yeah. Roy."

"Cool name," Kai remarked unworriedly.

"Can you remember anything else?" Doc asked quickly.

"I don't know, doctor…" The man rubbed his temples and sighed. "It hurts to remember."

"Ah," Kai smiled empathetically. "Bad memories, eh?"

"No," the patient responded seriously. "As in, it literally hurts to _think._"

"Oh," Kai looked down, feeling kind of stupid.

"Kai," Doc called out, getting up from the chair in the corner of the room. "I want you to show Roy around town. Show him the farms; introduce him to a few people. Until we find out where he's from, he'll have to get settled down. Come back here if there's anything wrong, and bring him back by 8:30 tonight. "

"Sure thing, Doc!" Kai replied eagerly. He turned to Roy and smiled friendlily. "Come on, I'll show you 'round."

Roy looked very uncertain. His vision turned from Roy to Doc, as if he was mistrustful of the former. Of course, he had spent more time with Doc today, and had probably grown to trust him.

"And Kai," Doc taps the boy on the shoulder as he walks out the door, followed by Roy. "Don't leave him alone at any time."

"'Course not, Doc!" Kai said cheerfully. "I'll take care of him."

Kai realized how imperceptibly difficult it must be for the man. He pretty much drowns, is suddenly being dragged all over, is being talked about, and wakes up in a hospital. Furthermore, he doesn't have any memories. Kai voices his thoughts as the pair walks past Ellie and exit the clinic.

"Damn, bro. You must be really confused, right?"

"Yeah," Was the vague reply.

"No worries, man. Everyone in Mineral Town is real nice. You'll get to like it here."

"Do...Do I…" Roy was still speaking quietly and uncertainly. He looked at Kai as the pair passed a large supermarket. "Do I have to stay here? Until when?"

"I don't know," Kai responded honestly. "Maybe a few days, weeks, maybe even a month. We'll see."

"Where are we going?"

"Um…" Kai paused, looking around, and then looking at Roy. The man wore sloppy clothing: a mud-streaked black shirt with long sleeves, and a pair of torn jeans with a large belt. "We're getting you a new outfit."

Roy paused temporarily. He then frantically looked around, as though he was searching for something. He then put a hand to the back of his head, "My hat."

"What?"

"My hat. I had a hat. One of those, like, cowboy ones."

"Oh," Kai replied, slightly fascinated. "It definitely got lost somewhere at sea, man." The topic brought a new question to Kai's mind. "Do you remember working on a ship?" he asked. "A cargo ship, to be specific."

"I have no idea. I don't think so- don't remember anything like that."

"I see," Kai nodded slowly as they walked towards the entrance of the supermarket.

"This," he announced. "Is the supermarket. You can get everything you need here: food, clothes…" He thought long and hard about what else they sold. "Et cetera," he concluded smartly.

Roy looked at him in a disapproving way, and then headed inside quickly, inspecting the room. It was large and colourful. The floor consisted of light colored planks and an assortment of carpets. Goods, including both boxed items of food and cooking ingredients, were positioned on long shelves which stretched out for the full length of the store.

The opening of the door had alerted the store's manager. A scrawny looking fellow popped out behind the rightmost shelf. He had slick black hair and an uncomfortable looking uniform, which consisted of a clean white shirt and a black tie.

"Oh, it's you, Kai-" He pulled a somewhat funny expression when he noticed the second customer. "And who might this be?"

"This is Roy," Kai introduced them. "Roy- this is Jeff. He owns the supermarket. Roy has quite a background story, right buddy?" There was no response, so Kai pushed him further. "Care to explain to Jeff?"

"No," Roy said, seeming very distracted by all the food surrounding him.

"Hmph," Kai sneered at the indignant response, and paused as he thought of how he was going to explain the story. He had a feeling he would have to tell it more than once today. "Roy washed ashore on the beach this morning. You know the hurricane last night? He was probably out at sea somewhere. Me and Zack found the poor dude and brought him to the clinic. Doc says Roy's got amnesia or somethin'. He can't remember nothing."

Jeff continued his slack-jawed staring. Eventually he regained composure. Jeff turned around and promptly sneezed three times in a row. He turned around to face Roy, and half-sniffed, half-laughed.

"That's a miracle, isn't it?" Said Jeff smiling. Roy thought the man sounded like he had a very bad cold. The manager and Kai turned to face Roy.

"I suppose you came here to get a new outfit, eh?"

"Yeah," Roy replied assertively with a strong voice. "And could I also get some food? I haven't eaten in days… I think."

"We'll go to the inn right after this, Roy," Kai reassured him kindly. "But first, follow me."

Kai escorted Roy through the maze of shelves, with the feeble and miniature manager scampering behind them. Roy halted in front of a stand with dozens of shirts and jean pants. On a stand nearby, there were an assortment of jackets and boots. Out of the corner of his eyes, Roy noticed another few shelves in the back of the store. They displayed dresses of all colours, and other clothes for women.

"So," Kai brought the wandering attention of Roy back. "What do you want?"

"I don't know," Roy replied, rather perplexed by all the options being thrown at him. "I guess…" He turned to face the shopkeeper. "Jeff, do you have a shirt and jeans just like this one?"

"Sure, let's see…" Jeff dashed past the two taller men and commenced his search for the chosen outfit. "Here we go." He proclaimed cheerfully after a suspiciously short amount of time. "The jeans are a slightly darker shade, but the color will lighten if you-"

"Perfect," Kai interrupted. "Thanks, Jeff. The changing stalls are over there, Roy."

"Hold on just a second," Jeff interfered. "You'll have to pay before you can use them, of course."

"Oh, right," Kai mumbled disappointedly. He bit his lower lip and put his hands in his pockets. "Roy…you wouldn't happen to have any…"

"No cash," Came the answer. Roy had checked his pockets much earlier, discovering nothing except a lot of sand._ A lot. _

_Damn,_ Kai grumbled under his breath. "Alright. How much?"

"That'll amount to… 800 G." Jeff calculated.

"800?" Kai shout ed angrily, before reaching deep into the pockets of his shorts and pulling out a black leather wallet. He drew a few bills.

"Thanks a lot," said Roy, thinking it would be the appropriate thing to say.

"Whatever, bro," Kai said uncaringly. "No problem."

Roy kind of half-smiled. He then realized he was smiling and stopped smiling and started being confused again. That emotion fitted his mood better.

"Just pay me back sometime soon." Kai continued, completely wiping away any traces of a smile on Roy's mouth.

Roy entered the stall, pulled the curtains closed around him, and directly took off his shirt. It was dirty and still a bit soggy from his misadventures last night. He dumped it on the floor and stretched his arms. He shook the neatly folded one to life and started changing. A few moments later, he walked out, and was holding a bundle of what could only be labeled as horribly fragranced pieces of cloth.

"Let's go," Kai said hastily, already moving towards the door. "Poultry Farm closes at 7 PM."

"What?" Roy asked puzzled, rushing to catch up with Kai. "Farm?"

"Yeah," Kai clarified. "Poultry Farm. It's where Popuri lives."

"Pop…? Urine…?"

"_Popuri_," Kai explained. "She's my girlfriend. Kind of."

"Kind of?" Roy asked unsurely.

"Thing is, bro, I only come to Mineral Town in the summer," Kai said, moving south towards the road where the farms were. "So I don't really have no time to get settled with just _one_ girl, ya know?"

Roy lifted an inquisitive eyebrow and thought about what Kai was insinuating by emphasizing on the 'one'. Kai paused when the road forked. To his left, Roy saw the road continuing and sourcing many side roads. Straight ahead, he noticed fields in the distance, the color of the soaked dirt catching his eye. The field looked as though it had been completely ravaged by the hurricane. Large logs and heavy stones were littered everywhere, crushing any vegetation which might have grown there before. There was someone working the fields, too. Roy couldn't see well, but it looked as though the person had long blonde hair, and Roy made an educated guess that it was a girl.

"Who's that?" Roy asked, his tone sounding slightly dazed. He noticed how sudden the question was, and tried to make it sound more relaxed, "I mean, what's her name?" No, bad word choice- it sounded as though he was trying to stalk her. "Where does she live?" Damnit.

"Hmph," Kai sneered, crossing his arms and looking away from the farm. "She's just trouble." And that was all he said before walking away towards the poultry farm. Roy followed obediently, casting one last eye at the girl as she ploughed the soil with a heavy-looking tool.

The less than pleasurable scents of chickens and lots and lots of poop entered the boy's noses. They were nearing the farm, and they could see dozens of chickens going about their daily business within the safety of their pens. Out of the blue, a chicken seemed to drop down from the skies above and landed on Roy's head.

"What the-!" Roy exclaimed, caught completely off-guard by the sudden assault. The animal rooted itself onto Roy's hair and started beating its wings uncontrollably, clucking savagely all the while. Kai did a double-take and landed on the floor, watching the scene unfold from a moderately safe distance. A big poof of pink cotton candy rushed through a gate and towards the boys.

"Hold on!" Popuri exclaimed desperately, as Roy tried to grab the chicken but failed miserably. "It's alright, Kai, calm down."

"What?" asked the watchful bystander with confusion.

"Not you, silly!" Popuri said mysteriously, turning to face Roy and the current inhabitant of his messy hair. "Hi there! Who are you?"

"There's a chicken on my head."

"Oh, right," Popuri realized apprehensively. "Um… Just hold still for a moment."

The bird had remained fairly still for the last few seconds, until Popuri reached her hands out for it. The rooster started panicking and crying out for help wildly. As soon as she withdrew her hand the animal went scarily silent and stood perched atop Roy's head like a stone monument. Tentatively, Popuri tried to touch it again. Within milliseconds the raging chicken had awoken from its slumber and was pecking at her. Popuri defended her face in despair, but the animal was shockingly motionless once more. The girl slowly lifted her index finger. The chicken slowly turned its head towards her.

"_Weird…_" She concluded, slightly spellbound. "Anyway- hi! My name's Popuri, who are you?"

Roy blinked a few times, feeling the soft pawing of the animal on his head as it settled and sat down. He decided it would be in his best interest to leave it be for now, "I'm Roy."

"You named a chicken after me?" Kai suddenly interfered with a rather blank expression.

"Yep," Popuri beamed happily, as though it was the most casual conversation ever, which it wasn't.

"Oh," Kai responded simply when the girl didn't elaborate any further. Roy thought his current facial expression was funny to look at. "Right."

"Hi, Roy," said the pink-haired chicken-girl. "Do you like chickens?"

Roy narrowed his eyes slowly, distrustful of this manipulator of chickens, "I suppose they are noble animals in their own right."

"Eeep!" Popuri screeched, presumably with joy. "I think so _too_!"

Roy and Kai both tapped their ears to check if they were still working.

"I can just tell we're going to be best friends _forever_!"

"Um," Kai butted in anxiously. "Let's move on, Roy."

"Wait," Popuri silenced them. "You have to meet my brother."

"No, no, no," Kai laughed mockingly. "We certainly do not. I'll talk to you later, beauty."

"Oh, _Rick_!" Popuri yelled cheerfully, hopping towards the farmhouse.

"There is a chicken on my head," Roy acknowledged.

"True that," Kai responded simply, inspecting the animal curiously. He poked it softly but it didn't budge.

"There is a chicken on his head," said a third voice. It was a man's voice. A blond boy with glasses walked towards the pair with a quite angry scowl. "Kai? What're you doing here?"

"Walking," Kai snarled. "Got a problem with that, buddy?"

"Right," Rick deemed the answer appropriate enough. He turned to the man he didn't recognize, suspicious of the newcomer because he was hanging out with _Him, _"And who are you?"

"Roy," he replied promptly. "And there's a chicken on my head."

"And why would that be?" Rick questioned warily.

"I don't know, I don't care. Just get it off, please."

"Of course, of course," Rick answered quickly, simply picking the animal up and clenching it close to his chest. It appeared to have fallen asleep. Roy flattened his hair. Rick turned to face Kai, expecting an explanation. Kai told them of Roy's risky escapade.

"Ooh," Popuri exclaimed excitedly. "How mysterious."

"Oh, wow," Rick said with genuine interest. "Have you taken him to the Mayor yet?"

"Nope," Kai replied, as Roy eyed him carefully. "But Doc probably already told him."

"I wouldn't rely on that," Rick said determinedly. "I'll head there right now."

"Whatever," Kai dismissed, slowly walking on. "See you, Popuri."

And so, Roy's escort led him down the path. As they neared another fork in the road, a splash of water struck Kai's neck. He ignored it, but soon rain was trickling down from the angry looking cloud above.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kai sighed wearily, as the rumble of charging lightning grew in the skies above. He swore, and yelled angrily at the clouds, "What is up with this weather?"

Roy looked at Kai as though he was his apprentice. Kai looked back at him before jogging back towards the way they came.

"What're you waiting for?" He hooted. "Hurry up!"

The rain started becoming more intense until it was no longer dribbling down, but being launched at them forcefully. Roy covered his head with his arms as leaves and branches were thrown onto the road by the wind. Something flying around in the mud path to his left caught his attention.

"My hat!" He roared, rushing into the forest in the middle of the tempest.

* * *

><p><em>Might be a while for the next chapter.<em>


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